Methods and apparatus for providing call flow information to devices associated with call flow destinations are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for providing call flow information to a terminal device comprises receiving a communication specifying an initial destination from a calling party, and at least one of assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and an alternate destination, forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure. A call flow indicator is generated and transmitted to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination.
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1. A method for providing call flow information to terminal device users, comprising: receiving a communication from a calling party; generating a first call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of an initial destination for the received communication, wherein the initial destination is a number or network address associated with at least one of a department associated with a plurality of possible recipients, a prior recipient of the received communication with whom a communication session has already been established, or an initially intended recipient of the received communication; transmitting an identifier of the calling party and the generated first call flow indicator to a recipient group, wherein the recipient group comprises at least one of a terminal device associated with the initial destination, a terminal device associated with an alternate destination, or a terminal device associated with a subsequent destination; and in response to a determination of a subsequent destination for the received communication, updating the first call flow indicator to include a respective identifier of the subsequent destination for the received communication.
A method provides call flow information to users. When a call arrives, the system creates a call flow indicator. This indicator includes information about the initial destination of the call, which might be a department, a previous recipient, or the intended recipient. The system sends the caller's ID and the call flow indicator to a group of recipients, including devices at the initial destination, an alternate destination, or a subsequent destination if the call is transferred. If the call is rerouted, the system updates the call flow indicator to show the new destination.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the calling party is transmitted to the recipient group over a first channel and wherein the generated first call flow indicator is transmitted to the recipient group over a second channel separate from the first channel.
In the call flow method, the caller's ID is sent to the recipient group using one communication channel. The call flow indicator is sent using a separate channel. This separation helps distinguish the caller's identity from call routing details. This is based on the method for providing call flow information to users comprising of receiving a communication from a calling party and generating a first call flow indicator with an identifier of an initial destination; transmitting an identifier of the calling party and the generated first call flow indicator to a recipient group and updating the first call flow indicator to include a respective identifier of the subsequent destination for the received communication.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifier of the calling party is formatted for processing, by each terminal device of the recipient group, to display text identifying the caller, and wherein the generated first call flow indicator is formatted for processing, by at least one of each terminal device of the recipient group or a device associated with a user of the recipient group, as an audible indication of the initial destination for the received communication.
In the call flow method, the caller's ID is formatted so the receiving devices can display the caller's name. The call flow indicator is formatted to provide an audible indication of the initial destination of the call. This audible indication can be processed either by the receiving device or by a device associated with the user. This is based on the method for providing call flow information where the identifier of the calling party is transmitted to the recipient group over a first channel and the generated first call flow indicator is transmitted to the recipient group over a second channel separate from the first channel.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recipient group comprises a terminal device associated with an alternate destination, the method further comprising: determining that the communication has been one of forwarded from the initial destination to the alternate destination or re-assigned to the alternate destination; generating, in a second generating step, a second call flow indicator, the second call flow indicator including the identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, the generated second call flow indicator and the identifier of the calling party.
The call flow method where the recipients include a device at an alternate destination further comprises these steps: The system determines if a call has been forwarded or reassigned to the alternate destination. Then, a second call flow indicator is generated, including both the initial and alternate destination identifiers. Finally, this second call flow indicator and the caller's ID are sent to the device at the alternate destination. This is based on the method for providing call flow information to users comprising of receiving a communication from a calling party and generating a first call flow indicator with an identifier of an initial destination; transmitting an identifier of the calling party and the generated first call flow indicator to a recipient group and updating the first call flow indicator to include a respective identifier of the subsequent destination for the received communication.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the identifier of the initial destination and the identifier of the alternate destination are at least one of an alphanumeric identifier or an audible identifier.
In the call flow method using an alternate destination, the identifiers for the initial and alternate destinations can be alphanumeric (like a name or number) or audible (like a recorded message). This selection is part of generating a second call flow indicator, the second call flow indicator including the identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, the generated second call flow indicator and the identifier of the calling party. This is based on determining that the communication has been one of forwarded from the initial destination to the alternate destination or re-assigned to the alternate destination.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising assigning a corresponding group of one or more terminal devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations.
In the call flow method using an alternate destination, the system assigns groups of one or more devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations. This allows for routing calls to multiple devices at each destination if needed. This is based on determining that the communication has been one of forwarded from the initial destination to the alternate destination or re-assigned to the alternate destination; generating, in a second generating step, a second call flow indicator, the second call flow indicator including the identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, the generated second call flow indicator and the identifier of the calling party.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the assigned groups includes a plurality of terminal devices.
In the call flow method using assigned device groups for initial and alternate destinations, at least one of these groups contains multiple devices. This means calls can be simultaneously routed to several devices at a particular destination. This is based on assigning a corresponding group of one or more terminal devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations. This is based on determining that the communication has been one of forwarded from the initial destination to the alternate destination or re-assigned to the alternate destination; generating, in a second generating step, a second call flow indicator, the second call flow indicator including the identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, the generated second call flow indicator and the identifier of the calling party.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising storing, in a database, a record associating the identifier of the initial destination with at least one of a date, time, duration or calling party identifier of the communication.
In the call flow method, the system stores a record in a database. This record links the identifier of the initial destination to information about the call, such as the date, time, duration, or the caller's ID. This database information can be later used for call tracking and reporting. This is based on assigning a corresponding group of one or more terminal devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations. This is based on determining that the communication has been one of forwarded from the initial destination to the alternate destination or re-assigned to the alternate destination; generating, in a second generating step, a second call flow indicator, the second call flow indicator including the identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, the generated second call flow indicator and the identifier of the calling party.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated first call flow indicator is transmitted as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.
In the call flow method, the call flow indicator is transmitted as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message. This uses SIP, a common protocol for managing communication sessions over the internet, to deliver the call flow information. This is based on the method for providing call flow information to users comprising of receiving a communication from a calling party and generating a first call flow indicator with an identifier of an initial destination; transmitting an identifier of the calling party and the generated first call flow indicator to a recipient group and updating the first call flow indicator to include a respective identifier of the subsequent destination for the received communication.
10. The method of claim 1 , further including extracting the identifier of the initial destination from the received communication.
In the call flow method, the system extracts the identifier of the initial destination directly from the received communication. This automates the process of identifying the intended destination for the call. This is based on the method for providing call flow information to users comprising of receiving a communication from a calling party and generating a first call flow indicator with an identifier of an initial destination; transmitting an identifier of the calling party and the generated first call flow indicator to a recipient group and updating the first call flow indicator to include a respective identifier of the subsequent destination for the received communication.
11. A method for providing call flow information, comprising: receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
A method provides call flow information. When a call arrives specifying an initial destination, the system either assigns the call to a device at the initial destination or at an alternate destination. If a call setup fails at the initial destination, the system can forward or reassign the call to an alternate destination. A call flow indicator is created including the initial and alternate destinations. A message containing this indicator is sent to the device at the alternate destination.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising assigning, for use during the generating, a corresponding group of one or more terminal devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations.
In the call flow method using an alternate destination, the system assigns groups of one or more devices to the initial and alternate destinations. This allows for routing calls to multiple devices at each destination, which is done during the generating stage. This builds on receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the groups includes a plurality of terminal devices.
In the call flow method using assigned device groups for initial and alternate destinations, at least one of these groups contains multiple devices. This allows for calls to be simultaneously routed to several devices at a particular destination. This is based on assigning, for use during the generating, a corresponding group of one or more terminal devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations. This builds on receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
14. The method of claim 11 , further including extracting the identifier of the initial destination from the received communication.
In the call flow method using an alternate destination, the system extracts the identifier of the initial destination directly from the received communication. This automates the process of identifying the intended destination for the call. This builds on receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising storing, in a database, a record associating the identifier of the initial destination with at least one of a date, time or duration of the communication.
In the call flow method, the system stores a record in a database. This record links the identifier of the initial destination to information about the call, such as the date, time, or duration of the call. This database information can be used later for call tracking and reporting. This is based on extracting the identifier of the initial destination from the received communication. This builds on receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
16. A method for providing call flow information to a user of a terminal device, comprising: receiving, at the terminal device, a message including a call flow indicator, wherein the call flow indicator includes an identification of a destination for a communication received from a call originator; and alerting a user to the identification of the destination by audibly reproducing, at the terminal device, a name of the destination and a name of the call originator, wherein the receiving terminal device is one of a plurality of terminal devices assigned to the destination.
A method provides call flow information to a user. The device receives a message containing a call flow indicator, which includes the intended destination for a call. The device alerts the user by playing the name of the destination and the caller's name. The device receiving the call is one of multiple devices assigned to that destination.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein alerting the user includes displaying a graphical alert on the receiving terminal device, the graphical alert comprising a name of the destination.
In the method for alerting a user to call flow information, alerting the user also includes displaying a graphical alert on the device, showing the name of the intended destination. This provides visual confirmation of the call's intended recipient. This builds on the method for providing call flow information to a user of a terminal device, comprising: receiving, at the terminal device, a message including a call flow indicator, wherein the call flow indicator includes an identification of a destination for a communication received from a call originator; and alerting a user to the identification of the destination by audibly reproducing, at the terminal device, a name of the destination and a name of the call originator, wherein the receiving terminal device is one of a plurality of terminal devices assigned to the destination.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the name of the destination displayed in the graphical alert is appended to a displayed name of the call originator.
In the call flow alert method, the destination's name is added to the caller's name in the displayed graphical alert. This provides a clear, combined indication of who is calling and their intended recipient. This builds on alerting the user includes displaying a graphical alert on the receiving terminal device, the graphical alert comprising a name of the destination. This builds on the method for providing call flow information to a user of a terminal device, comprising: receiving, at the terminal device, a message including a call flow indicator, wherein the call flow indicator includes an identification of a destination for a communication received from a call originator; and alerting a user to the identification of the destination by audibly reproducing, at the terminal device, a name of the destination and a name of the call originator, wherein the receiving terminal device is one of a plurality of terminal devices assigned to the destination.
19. Apparatus for providing call flow information to a terminal device, comprising: a) at least one processor; b) at least one input device; and c) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method including: receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of: assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
An apparatus for providing call flow information has a processor, an input device, and storage. The storage contains instructions for: receiving a call specifying an initial destination; assigning, forwarding, or reassigning the call to a device at the initial or an alternate destination (if the setup fails at the initial destination); generating a call flow indicator with the initial and alternate destinations; and sending a message with the indicator to the device at the alternate destination.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the at least one storage device further stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to assign, for use during the generating, a corresponding group of one or more terminal devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations.
The apparatus for providing call flow information further includes instructions to assign groups of one or more terminal devices to each of the initial and alternate destinations, for use during the generation of the call flow indicator. This builds on the apparatus comprising: a) at least one processor; b) at least one input device; and c) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method including: receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of: assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the at least one storage device further stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to extract the identifier of the initial destination from the received communication.
The apparatus for providing call flow information further includes instructions to extract the identifier of the initial destination from the received communication. This automates destination identification. This builds on the apparatus comprising: a) at least one processor; b) at least one input device; and c) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method including: receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of: assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the at least one storage device further stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to store, in a database, a record associating the identifier of the initial destination with at least one of a date, time or duration of the communication.
The apparatus for providing call flow information further includes instructions to store a record in a database, linking the initial destination's identifier to the call's date, time, or duration. This enables call tracking. This builds on the apparatus comprising: a) at least one processor; b) at least one input device; and c) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method including: receiving a communication from a calling party, the communication specifying an initial destination; at least one of: assigning the received communication to a terminal device associated with the initial destination and with an alternate destination; forwarding the received communication from a terminal device associated with the initial destination to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination, or re-assigning the communication to a terminal device associated with the alternate destination rather than with the initial destination responsive to a call set up failure; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of the initial destination and an identifier of the alternate destination; and transmitting, to the terminal device associated with the alternate destination, a message including the generated call flow indicator. This further builds on including instructions to extract the identifier of the initial destination from the received communication.
23. A method for providing call flow information, comprising: receiving a communication from a calling party; generating a call flow indicator, the call flow indicator including an identifier of an initial destination for the received communication, wherein the generating includes formatting the call flow indicator for processing, by at least one of the terminal device or a device associated with user of a terminal device, as at least one of a visible or an audible indication of the initial destination for the received communication; transmitting, to at least one of a terminal device associated with the initial destination or a terminal device associated with a subsequent destination, a message including the generated call flow indictor; and in response to a determination of a subsequent destination for the received communication, updating the first call flow indicator to include a respective identifier of the subsequent destination for the received communication.
A method provides call flow information. When a call arrives, the system generates a call flow indicator that includes the initial destination. The indicator is formatted to provide either a visible or audible indication of the initial destination to the device or its user. The system sends a message containing the call flow indicator to the device at the initial or a subsequent destination. If the call is rerouted, the call flow indicator is updated to show the new destination.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting an identifier of the calling party over a first channel and transmitting the generated call flow indicator over a second channel separate from the first channel.
In the call flow method, the caller's ID is transmitted over a first channel, and the generated call flow indicator is transmitted over a second, separate channel. This separates the caller identification from the call routing information. This is based on the method for providing call flow information. When a call arrives, the system generates a call flow indicator that includes the initial destination. The indicator is formatted to provide either a visible or audible indication of the initial destination to the device or its user. The system sends a message containing the call flow indicator to the device at the initial or a subsequent destination. If the call is rerouted, the call flow indicator is updated to show the new destination.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the generated call flow indicator is transmitted as an SMS message and the identifier of the calling party is transmitted between ringing signals over a public service transmission network (PSTN).
In the call flow method, the call flow indicator is transmitted as an SMS message. The caller's ID is transmitted between the ringing signals over a public service transmission network (PSTN). This uses SMS for call flow details and legacy PSTN mechanisms for caller ID. This is based on the method for providing call flow information. When a call arrives, the system generates a call flow indicator that includes the initial destination. The indicator is formatted to provide either a visible or audible indication of the initial destination to the device or its user. The system sends a message containing the call flow indicator to the device at the initial or a subsequent destination.
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March 20, 2015
May 23, 2017
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